Why Your Home Feels Stuffy (and What You Can Do About It)

Your home doesn’t feel fresh. No matter how much you clean, it just feels heavy and stagnant.

This stuffy feeling is actually more common than you might think. And most of the time…it’s not your fault.

Dirty shelves and floors aren’t normally the cause of that dusty feeling in your home.

Dirty air ducts living behind your walls are.

Every time your HVAC system runs, it’s sending air through those ducts and out every vent in your home. When your ducts are filthy with dust, pet hair, allergens and debris they send that polluted air swirling around your living space day after day.

The good news is that once you know what’s causing the problem, you can easily fix it.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

1. Why Your Home Feels Stuffy
2. The Problem Behind Your Walls
3. Signs Your Air Ducts are Dirty
4. How Air Duct Cleaning Fixes the Problem
5. Bonus Tips for Cleaner Indoor Air

Why Your Home Feels Stuffy

Did you know that the EPA states that we spend about 90% of our lives indoors?

Yeah. Me either.

But it’s true. We are indoors WAY more than we are outside and that means we are constantly breathing the recycled air from inside our homes.

Here’s the issue with that.

Did you know that indoor air pollution can be even worse than outdoor air pollution?

According to the EPA indoor pollutant levels can be 2 to 5 times higher than what you’d find just outside your front door.

Yikes.

If your home feels stuffy that’s your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. And while there could be a number of issues, the most common cause is dirty air ducts.

Air ducts live hidden behind your walls. When your heating and cooling system runs, they suck air out of your home and push it back out every time the air cycles through. This can happen many times throughout the day.

In most homes that HVAC system will be pumping and re-pumping the same air 5 to 7 times per day.

When your ductwork is full of dust, allergens, pet dander, mold and debris your body notices.

How Air Duct Cleaning Helps

Air duct cleaning removes years of accumulated dust, dirt, pollen and contaminants from your HVAC system.

Professional air duct cleaning services from Capitol Duct will send trained specialists into your ductwork armed with powerful vacuums and specialized equipment. They’ll extract all the dust and particles from your supply and return vents, registers, grilles and everything in-between.

Once your ducts are clean the air will flow more freely through your system. Your HVAC unit won’t have to work as hard to move air through all that debris. And best of all, the air blowing through your vents is much cleaner.

The Problem Behind Your Walls

Your air ducts are your homes respiratory system.

Every time your heating or air conditioning kicks on, those ducts pull air out of your rooms and push it back out every time the air cycles through. That’s several times a day for most families.

Now think about how much dust, dirt, pollen, pet hair and other particles fly around your home over the course of several months and years.

Pretty dirty right?

Everything those vents suck out of your home eventually ends up in those air ducts. And then it gets blown back into YOUR home every time you run your HVAC.

On average those ducts are circulating and recirculating your air 5 to 7 times each day.

Does your home feel stuffy? Your air probably isn’t circulating as well as it should and particles are free floating throughout your living space.

Signs Your Air Ducts are Dirty

You may be thinking that your home feels stuffy. But how do you know it’s your ducts causing the problem?

Here are a few signs that it’s time to do something about those dusty ducts:

• You see dust around your air vents. If there’s dust piled up around your registers it’s likely coming from inside the ductwork as well.
• Your house smells funky. Weird odors or smells when your heating or cooling is on are typically caused by mold, mildew or debris inside the ducts.
• Your allergies are acting up. Sneezing, coughing, runny nose. Itching eyes? Those could be signs you have poor indoor air quality.
• Rooms feel unevenly heated/cooled. You may notice that some rooms in your home feel stuffier than others. That can be a sign that something is blocking your ducts and preventing proper air flow.
• You just can’t seem to get rid of the dust. Are you constantly dusting? Does it feel like as soon as you wipe down your surfaces the dust just magically reappears? Dirty ductwork could be causing you trouble.

How Do You Fix It?

If your air ducts are dirty, professional air duct cleaning is the solution.

During air duct cleaning, service technicians will remove all that built up dust, debris and contaminants from your entire duct system. That includes your supply ducts, return ducts, registers, grilles and more.

Not only will your system breathe easier when those ducts are clean. You’ll too!

Your air won’t feel as stuffy when those ducts are fresh because:

• Air flows better. No more blockages to slow down your airflow.
• Your HVAC system runs more efficiently. Keeping your ducts clean helps your system work the way it was intended too.
• It’s easier on your health. Indoor air pollution can lead to health problems over time. Children, the elderly and anyone with respiratory conditions are especially at risk.

You’ll breathe easier knowing your air is cleaner.

Just remember that air duct cleaning isn’t a “set it and forget it” type of deal.

How often you should clean your ducts depends on your situation. But most professionals agree that you should have them inspected yearly.

Do you have pets? Did you recently finish home renovations? Do you or anyone in your family suffer from allergies or respiratory issues? These are all factors that can determine how often you need your air ducts cleaned.

Bonus Tips for Cleaner Indoor Air

We touched on air duct cleaning, but there are other steps you can take to keep your air fresh.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Change your air filters regularly. Air filters trap all sorts of dust and particles when your HVAC system runs. If your filter is too clogged it can’t do it’s job. Check your filters monthly and replace when needed.

Typically you should be changing your filters every 1-3 months.

Improve ventilation. Whenever possible open up your windows and doors to let fresh air flow through your home. This helps clear out some of that stale air too.

Control humidity. Higher humidity promotes mold and mildew growth. Try to keep humidity levels below 50% inside your home.

Most homes have a humidity level meter some where on their HVAC system. You can also buy a standalone meter fairly inexpensively.

Keep vents clear. Rearrange furniture, move curtains and lift up rugs that are covering your air vents. Obstructed vents don’t allow air to flow like they should.

Schedule annual HVAC maintenance. Yearly maintenance by a certified HVAC technician helps your system run more efficiently. That also means fewer chances for dust to build up inside your ductwork.

Bringing It All Together

Indoor air quality is important and if your home feels stuffy or dry there’s probably something wrong with the air you’re breathing.

The truth is, indoor air pollution is one of the top environmental health risks we face today. Most of the time the cause is poor ventilation or dirty air ducts.

Once you know what’s causing that dusty feeling in your home you can fix the problem and keep your air clean.

Just remember:

• Knowledge is power. Know the signs that your ducts might be dirty.
• Air duct cleaning solves most indoor air quality problems.
• Clean vents and change your filters.
• Take care of your HVAC system and it’ll take care of you.

Not only will your air feel fresher throughout your home but you’ll also improve the overall air quality you and your family breathe every day.

Breathe happy, friends.

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